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Snooker Century Rates

INTRODUCTION

Charts

1.  Percentage of Centuries in Frames Won by Season as Pro for 4 Biggest Century Makers

2. Peak Season Centuries Per Frames Won for 10 Biggest Century Makers

3. Number of Players to Make a Century by Decade

4. Top 20 century makers in each decade by nationality

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Data Table

5. Percentage of Centuries in Frames Won by Season as Professional for Top Snooker Players

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A century in snooker is a score of 100 or more points with one visit to the table. It requires a great deal of skill and practice to consistently make century breaks. A snooker player's century rate reflects their potting and positional ability. Looking at century rates for frames won more specifically examines their ability to build very large breaks after they have started a break and adjusts for the quality of opposition in different eras.

The above graph shows the century per frames won percentage of the 5 biggest century makers of all time. 

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Widely considered snookers greatest ever players, Ronnie O'Sullivan has the strongest record overall although Neil Robertsons last 2 seasons are the better than of any of O'Sullivans in this metric. O'Sullivans century making seems to have plateaued but he could easily come back and surpass Robertson. Such is his greatness in the sport. Aside from having the 2 best performances, Neil Robertson also shows the most dramatic rise.

Judd Trump, the youngest player on the graph, seems to be on the way up although the last season seen a dramatic dip in century making. It's most probably a blip and unlikely to the beginning of a pattern of decline.

Stephen Hendry's performance stands the test of time and doesn't look out of place among the newer players. He would certainly have been among the top players in the modern game, judging from his century making ability. 

John Higgins shows a unique pattern of resurgence after a decline. This is also reflected in his success in terms of getting to finals and winning.

6 times World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has made more centuries than any other player. He has also made 15 maximum breaks. 

Photo by Benutzer: Bill da Flute

2019 World Champion Judd Trump is a prolific century maker. 

Photo by Martin Rulsch

The above bar chart shows the best season for each of the top 10 all time century makers. Neil Robertsons best performance in the 2020/21 is not only the best but the best by a long distance. It's notable that Mark Williams and John Higgins had their best performance in the 2021/22 season despite starting their professional careers 30 years ago. 

The above chart shows the number of different players to make centuries in each decade. Despite the fact that the standard at the top of game has increased in the 21st century, it seems that the total number of players to make centuries was higher in the 90s. This could mean that the strength in depth of snooker was actually greater in the 90s. There could also be another explanation. It needs further investigation. However, it's undeniable that the 90s was a strong era of snooker. This is further evidenced by the continuing success of the class of 92 (O'Sullivan, Higgins and Williams).

7 times World Champion Stephen Hendry long held snooker's major records which he broke when he dominated the snooker in 90s.

Photo by Benutzer: Bill da Flute

The above graph shows the nationality of the top 20 century makers in each decade from the 1980s to the 2010s. There has undeniably been a globalisation of snooker in the 21st centrury especially with the rise of Chinese players like Ding Junhui. However it has not been as dramatic as some had predicted. Snooker is still an overwhelmingly British dominated sport in whatever measure is used. The last 12 World Champions were British and there has yet to be a non-western World Champion however it seems like only a matter of time that this milestone will be reached. If it do What remains to be seen however is whether China becomes the dominant country in snooker. Many believed it was inevitable based on the size of China and the interest in snooker in China but the fact that it hasn't happened so long after many predicted seems to call into question whether it will happen at all. 

DATA TABLE
5. Percentage of Centuries in Frames Won by Season as Professional for Top Snooker Players
Season as Pro
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Stephen Hendry
John Higgins
Neil Robertson
Judd Trump
Mark Selby
Ding Junhui
Shaun Murphy
Marco Fu
Mark Williams
1st
5.24
1.65
3.62
0
8.45
2.9
11.41
1.82
6.6
2.11
2nd
8.29
5.71
4.23
0
10.81
0
15.49
7.89
10.09
2.73
3rd
7.12
4.85
6.82
1.15
7.84
1.83
16.75
9.16
10.72
4.12
4th
9.33
4.26
6.95
4.76
10.88
4.89
15.28
7.93
6.85
3.28
5th
12
8.62
6.2
0
14.82
2.7
18.88
6.25
13.16
5.24
6th
8.09
9.49
9.2
8.12
11.8
3.13
14.65
6.36
10.38
5.34
7th
9.28
10.73
9.34
8.33
13.24
8.24
17.48
12.88
9.86
9.32
8th
15.89
12.61
14.19
7.83
14.77
18.79
15.66
12.78
10.87
7.22
9th
10.61
10.6
12.4
9.02
12.63
12.11
13.1
11.97
11.27
4.38
10th
15.75
13.52
13.44
14.18
17.86
19.26
18.68
9.48
17.55
8.4
11th
15.16
14.82
13.98
9.19
12.9
14.01
15.53
10.69
18
8.89
12th
18.34
13.05
12.74
17.44
19.67
14.55
12.57
14.08
13.28
9.22
13th
19.53
9.64
16.81
12.85
20.39
14.55
12.85
9.7
11.97
16.66
14th
16.56
11.03
11.26
14.88
19.91
9.32
12.54
11.49
14.29
5.13
15th
22.33
16.61
13.29
13.4
22.9
9.67
11.85
9.48
13.98
4.25
16th
19.99
10.39
12.12
20.57
21.2
12.64
10.36
10.35
14.46
6.25
17th
19.69
17.81
14
18.64
14.2
11.69
14.55
13.47
13.44
3.38
18th
15.71
21.4
9.57
17.55
12.76
14.38
11.11
14.86
9.24
19th
20.62
12.75
13.21
16.85
15.39
21.92
13.21
17.96
11.11
20th
16.06
15.89
10
22.05
19.38
13.13
15.45
8.51
21st
17.57
13.2
10.33
20.1
12.44
18.07
15.23
3.88
22nd
16.83
10.93
8.66
22.7
17.4
12.66
10
3.51
23rd
18.32
10.95
9.12
31.9
17.71
16.9
5.88
24th
21.28
10.94
13.42
24.9
12.21
9.21
25th
17.73
14.57
13.06
7.51
26th
23.42
7.55
14.61
12.85
27th
23.18
10.16
11.47
12.5
28th
19.5
12.82
6.64
29th
19.4
17.03
15.13
30th
19.9
16.86
18.28

Source:

https://cuetracker.net/

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Charts created using OpenOffice Calc.

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